# Poolside vs Harmony Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Harmony Journal at none against Poolside's 10. Harmony Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 28 months). Poolside's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 16.4). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Poolside sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 6 months. Harmony Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Poolside ships an update every 28 months, Harmony Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Poolside | Harmony Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 28 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Size | 44 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Universal Magazines Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/602657493) | [Patrik Ell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591951181) |

## What reviewers say

### Poolside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poolside/id667937445)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $5.99 | per year |
| Nov Issue#46 Y/Bk 15 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Poolside Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| ISSUE 56 Poolside | $2.99 | one-time |
| February Issue#41 2013 | $3.99 | one-time |
| April Issue#43 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| October Issue#42 Y-BOOK 2013 | $3.99 | one-time |
| May Issue#45 2015 | $4.99 | one-time |


### Harmony Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harmony-journal/id6471342822)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Poolside free?

Poolside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Harmony Journal free?

Harmony Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Poolside or Harmony Journal have ads?

Poolside shows ads; Harmony Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Poolside or Harmony Journal?

Poolside ships an update every 28 months, and Harmony Journal every 2 months. Most recently, Poolside was updated on September 16, 2026 and Harmony Journal on September 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*